Najmul Hossain Shanto ruled out of Bangladesh's Asian Games 2026 campaign

Bangladesh have suffered a major blow after Najmul Hossain Shanto was ruled out of their ongoing Asian Games campaign due to a recurring fever and infection.

Bangladesh team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan confirmed the development, revealing that Shanto had been suffering from a fever since arriving in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, for the multi-sport event. The left-hander is scheduled to fly back to Dhaka on Tuesday (September 29).

"Najmul Hossain Shanto has been suffering from a fever ever since returning from his flight. In fact, the fever started during the flight itself. Right now, the fever is still fluctuating - it is a low-grade fever. Given his condition so far, his body has become quite weak. Since today marks the fourth day, we conducted blood tests for him, and the test results have come in. There are some infectious agents present in his system," BCB's physio Bayjedul Islam Khan said in a statement.

"However, tests for viral infections came back negative, and he tested negative for both influenza and COVID-19. So ultimately, since he is still suffering from fever after four days and considering the extent of weakness in his body, recovering in time before the final will be impossible. So we think that he will not be available till the final. That is why he is being sent back home," added Bayjedul.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh captain Litton Kumer Das has said that they would look to go with five bowlers in their quarterfinal clash against Malaysia at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on September 29. 

"I think the wicket favours the bowlers. We will try to play the best bowlers we have and maintain the overall team combination: five bowlers and six batsmen," Litton said in a media interaction after Monday's practice session.

Litton is also aware of the inclement weather conditions prevalent in Aichi-Nagoya. The first and second quarter-finals on Monday got washed out with relentless rain without a toss, eliminating Afghanistan and Hong Kong, China. There is also a high chance of rain on Tuesday (September 29), and Bangladesh will advance into the semis if their quarter-final against Malaysia also gets washed out due to rain, as they are the higher-ranked side.

"For now, we are focused on tomorrow's match. And if it is abandoned, there will be nothing we can do. As I said earlier, no one has any control over the rain," Litton said. "Let us play the first match and win it, and then we will think about the rest."